Filing device



July 4, 1961 0. K. SCHNEIDER 2,990,961

FILING DEVICE Filed March 24, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 050/22 KQ/N SCHNE/DEQ INVENTOR.

41 BY ai f4? y 1961 0. K. SCHNEIDER 2,990,961

FILING DEVICE Filed March 24, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 05cm? H p/v SCHNEIDEIQ INVENTOR.

2,990,961 FILING DEVICE Oscar Kain Schneider, Southgate, Califi, assignor to Plan Hold Corporation, Southgate, Calif a corporation of -California Filed Mar. 24, 1958, Ser. No. 723,307

12 Claims. (Cl. 21148) The present invention relates to a filing device for supporting and holding one or more pieces of thin sheet material along an edge margin thereof. More particularly, the invention relates to an improved friction-type binder forsheet material and to means for conveniently supporting such friction binders for convenient removal of a friction binder from the support means- The present invention is a continuation-in-part of copending application, Serial No. 502,059 filed April 18, 19-55, now'Patent No. 2,869,210 for a Friction-Type Binder.

f Many industries continuously use large pieces of sheet material, such as, engineering drawings, construction plans, maps, swatches of fabric material, advertising layouts of large size and the like. Often in the construction industry detailed plans are made for a particular portion of a construction project and it is desirable to assemble each set of plans with associated details in an individual holder. .or binder. Heretofore, prior proposed binders holding sheet material have been stored by supporting ends of'the binder upon a pair of parallel support members. Usually the support members were not enclosed and binders holding large pieces of sheet material stored on such support members could be removed only by lifting the binder and the sheet material upwardly to clear the parallel support members. In such prior proposed filing arrangements for such binders preliminary examination of the subject matter represented on the sheet mate rial could not be conveniently accomplished because of the presence of adjacent binders and their associated sheet material. Removal of abinder with associated sheet material was generally awkward because of the large size of the sheet material and the weight thereof.

Generally speaking, the present invention obviates the disadvantages of prior proposed filing devices of this general type and provides advantages over the prior devices." The present invention contemplates a friction-type binder of the general type disclosed in said copending application wherein an elongated channel-shaped binder member includes spaced holding means one of which is located adjacent to but in slightly ofiset relation to the center, of balance of the binder and sheet material carried there by. The spaced holding means cooperably engage a pair of hanger elements provided on the free end portion of a support means, which is pivotally mounted at' its opposite end to a fixed support such as a wall, a wall', of a cabinet, or other suitable support means. ApIuralityl of such support means may be arranged in side-by-side', relation, each being adapted to support such a frictiontype binder. The spaced holding means is so arranged that each binder may be removed from the hanger elements by displacing the binder longitudinally and then pivoting the binder about one of the hanger elements adjacent the center of balance and then removing the binder by disengaging the holding means with the hanger element. The binder may be readily placed on the sup-1 port means by inserting the binder endwise in alignment with the support means to engage a hanger element-and then pivoting the binder about the first engaged hanger element tobring a second holding means intoalignment with a second hangerelement so that upon longitudinal displacementv of thebinder, the binder will be supported bythe pair. of hanger elements. The advantagesof suchj a method of supporting a friction binder include the ab sence of lifting the binder .and sheet material over a support member, of immediately supporting the binder and sheet material at approximately its point of balance so that pivotal movement of the binder may be easily accomplished, and of handling the binder and material with only one hand. With such an arrangement of sup porting the friction binder the support means may be enclosed in a cabinet which may be of only slightly greater height than the vertical dimension of the material and binder when filed. i

The invention further contemplates means for tempo rarily securing a binder to an edge of a surface upon which the sheet material is laid for examination so that as examined sheets of material are folded over the binder I theoverbalancing of the material will not draw the binder and remaining material from the supporting surface.

The primary object of this invention is to disclose and provide a novel filing device adapted to support a plurality of pieces of sheet material in vertical, parallel rela tion in a convenient manner.

. material on a binder may be made without removing the sheet material from the filing device.

A further object of the invention is to provide a filing device wherein binders may be readily removably sup-L ported and may be conveniently removed without unnecessary lifting. A still further object of the invention is to disclose and provide an'improved friction-type binder provided with holding means for cooperably engaging a supported means in a novel manner.

Still another object of the invention is to disclose and provide means for securing a binder at the edge of a. table top. 1

Other objects and advantages of the present invention willbe readily appreciated and understood by reference to the following detailed description and drawings of. an. exemplary embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings: FIG. I is a side elevational view of a filing device ern-I bodying the present invention attached to a wall.

, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of FIG. 1 illustrating a method of attaching the binder to a support means, part supported relation with the support means.

3 construction of the binder.

FIG; 4' is a transverse section of the friction bindertaken in the plane indicated by line IV-IV of FIG. 1.: FIG. 5' is an exploded, fragmentary, perspective view of a portion of the friction binder to illustrate the novel 'FIG. '6 'is a perspective view of a modification of the: filing device of thisinvention wherein the support means is mounted on a pivoted bracket carried by a vertical standard. i f FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of the friction binder shown in FIGS. 1 through 6 associated with a clamp de vice provided at the edge of -a table top. FIG. 8 isa fragmentary, perspective view ofF IG'. 7,. In FIG. 1, afiling device embodying this invention is generally indicated at 10 and comprises ahorizontally;

pose ra ke 1. Pll Jof v al v m e support means; 12 extendingioutwardly from the bracket 11; and afriction. tyrejbin e 1 4 a blv e d a support means 12. Each binder 14 i jguiaptedto iipld'one or more relatively large sheets of any sheet-like material such as paper, drawings, fabric, etc.

The bracket 11 may be fixed to a wall in any suitable manner andmay comprise an elongated channel section member having outwardly directed flanges 15 provided with a plurality of longitudinally-spaced, verticallyaligned pairs of openings, 16.

4 Each exemplary support means 12 may include a vertical member or rod 17 provided with a relatively short bottom end portion .18 and a relatively long top end portion. 19. The end portions 18 and 19 are adapted to be received within the aligned openings 16 to pivotally mount the support means 12 for movement in a horizontal plane. Projecting horizontally outwardly from rod 17 may be a horizontal member or rod 20, the spacing of the inner end of. rod 20 from the bottom extremity of end portion 18 of the rod 17 being less than the distance between the flanges 15 on. the bracket so that rod 17 may be readily positioned between the flanges by first fully inserting end portion 19 into top opening 16 and then dropping the bottom end portion 18 into the bottom aligned opening 16. The horizontal rod 20 may be integral at its outer end with a downwardly diagonally-directed support rod 21, said support rod 21 terminating in a flat or horizontal portion 22 at the lower end portion 18 of rod 17 and for seating on bottom flange 15. Rod 21 may be secured to rod 17 in any suitable well known manner, as by welding. The diagonal rod 21 includes a laterally offset portion 22a adjacent the top end thereof for a purpose later described.

Adjacent the free outermost end: of the support means 12 may be provided a horizontal support flange 23 of selected length secured to rod 20 as by welding. The support flange 23 extends laterally sidewardly from rod 20 for a distance approximately the width of a friction binder 14 and provides a longitudinally extending depending retaining lip 23a and longitudinally spaced hanger support portions or elements 24 and 25, in this example, defined as end margins of support flange 23. It will be understood that the support elements 24 and 25 may be separate members independently secured in selected spaced relation to rod 20. In the example shown, the outer free end of supoprt means 12 may be spaced from the pivotal mounting on bracket 11 a distance slightly less than one half the length of friction binder 14 to be supported thereon.

The friction binder 14 may comprise an elongated rigid member 28 of channel section having spaced-parallel longitudinal walls 29 and 30 and an interconnecting web 31 defining therewith a longitudinally extending recess 32. The walls 29 and 30 terminate in parallel longitudinally extending edges 33 and 34 lying in a common transverse plane. Movably mounted-inthe recess 32 for in and out movement may be a sheet grippingmeans generally indicated at 35, said gripping means including a pair of angle section gripping members 36 and 37 having converging jaw portions 38 and 39, respectively, said gripping. members 36 and 37' having a length less than member 28 to provide unobstructed free ends on member 28. On internal surfaces of jaw portions 3 8.and.39 may be provided longitudinally extending parallel teeth or ridges 40 for biting. engagement with one or more sheets of material 41 held by the friction binder means 14.

The gripping members 36 and 37 may be hingedly connected together at their longitudinal edges opposite to the jaw portions 38 and 39. In thisexample the hinge connection may include a longitudinally extending O-section edge portion 43 provided on gripping member 37 to provide a longitudinally extending recess or groove 44 of part circle shape for pivotally receiving a generally circle section head portion 45 onthe adjacent longitudinal edge of the gripping member 36. The gripping members 36 and 37 include outwardly diverging wedge portions 46 and 48 whichtfrictionally engage-at their outer surfaces the. longitudinal edges 33 and 34,- respectively, of walls 29 and 30 of the channel member 28.

A spring means 50 may be provided at longitudinally spaced points of the friction binder 14 to urge apart wedge portions 48 and 46 into frictional engagement with the longitudinal edges 33 and 34. The spring means 50 may comprise an inverted V-shaped spring of flat spring metal stock having leg portions which contact the gripping members adjacent longitudinal ribs 40.

. Means for holding the gripping members and the spring in assembly with rigid member 28 at longitudinally'spaced points may comprise a bolt and nut assembly including a T-headed bolt 52 having its T-head 53 longitudinally disposed within the inverted V-shaped spring means 50 for support thereof and having its shank 54 extending through a port 55 at the vertex of the spring means 50, aligned laterally enlarged recesses 56 and 57 cut in edge margins of the gripping members and through a port 58in web 31 of member 28. In this example, a wing nut 59'may be used to conveniently draw the spring means 50 and gripping members 36 and 37' into assembled relationship within the member 28. It will. be noted that the recesses 56 and 57 and port 58 include parallel fiat side edges which may cooperate with flatted sides 60 of the bolt shank 54 to prevent misalignment of the T-head 53 during assembly and during grasping or releasing of sheet material as described below.

It will thus be readily apparent that turning of the wing nut 59 in a direction to draw the cross-headed bolt toward web 31 will cause gripping members 36 and 37 to converge and to tightly grasp edge margins of sheets of material 41 positioned therebetween. When the wing nut 59 is turned in an opposite direction so as to permit the T-headed bolt to move away from web 31, the spring means 50 causes the gripping members 36 and 37 to spread outwardly so as to receive additional sheets of material or to permit withdrawal of a sheet from the group of sheets 41.

The rigid member 28 of the friction binder 14 may be provided with unsymmetrically disposed spaced holding means for connecting and supporting the friction binder together with itsv associated sheets on the support means 12. In this example the holding means may comprise longitudinally spaced holding clips or tabs secured tothe outer surface of web 31 in any convenient manner as by welding. The tabs 65 include a wall portion 66 overlying, in spaced parallel relation, the surface of web 31 and defining therewith longitudinally spaced recesses 67, said recesses facing each other and the dis tance between the inner walls of the recesses 67 being greater than the distance between the support elements 25 on support flange 23-. It should benoticed that tab 65 adjacent the longitudinal center of the friction binder 14 (referred to as the proximate tab) is slightly spaced from the normal center of balance of the friction binder 14 toward bracket 11. The pair of holding tabs 65 thus lie at one side of the center line of the friction binder so that when the friction binder is supported from the support means 20 it will be supported or suspended therefrom in offset or unsymmetrical relation with respect to the binder 14. This unsymmetrical relationship of the spaced tabs 65 with respect to the center of balance of the friction binder 14 serves a purpose which will be understood from a description of the method of attachment of friction device 14 to support means 20.

It is contemplated that a friction binder 14 may be preferably held and carried in one hand adjacent to the center of balance indicated at B in FIG. 1. At such center of balance the friction binder (with the associated sheet material depending therefrom) may be readily carried and handled. As friction binder 14 is brought toward support means 12 it may be moved endwise beneath support flange 23 and at one side of rods 20 and 21. The laterally offset portion 22a on the diagonal rod 21 facilitates placement of member 28 beneath support flange 23 as it is moved inwardly toward the bracket 11' and especially when the gripping members are widely spread apart as when holding a large number of sheet material. With friction binder 14 tilted slightly downwardly toward its distal end, the proximate tab 65 may be engaged with support element 24 proximate thereto in the manner indicated at FIG. 2. The support element 24 is initially positioned against the inner wall of recess 67 and in such position the weight of the friction binder 14 is substantially carried by the support means. Binder 14 may then be pivoted about the pro-'xnn-ate tab 65- so that the distal tab 65 may be aligned with the adjacent distal support element 25. By longitudinallymoving friction binder 14 outwardly from bracket 11 the distal support tab 65 may be engaged with the distal support element 25 without disengagement of the proximate tab 65 and proximate element 24 adjacent the center of balance. It will be readily apparent that such assembly of friction binder 14 with the support means 12 may be readily accomplished without unnecessary lifting of the friction binder and associated sheet material and that once the proximate tab is engaged with the associated support element 24 the weight of the friction binder and sheet material is carried by the support means. 1

To remove a friction binder 14 from the support means above described the friction binder may be pushed endwise inwardly toward the bracket 11 so as to disengage the distal tab 65 from its associated support element 25; Then by lifting slightly on the outer end of the friction binder the distal tab 65 may be positioned below its associated support element 25- so thatithe friction binder may be readily disengaged from the proximate support element 24 by endwise withdrawal outwardly fromthe bracket. The advantages 'of such endwise method attaching the friction binder with a support means is readily apparent.

It will be noted that each of the friction binders 14 is carried by a support means 12! which is pivotally mounted about a vertical axis by rod 17 on bracket 11. Thus adjacent friction binders 14 may be spread or swung apart so as to examine and observethe subject matter of a particular set of drawings or set of sheet material carried by a friction binder. While the examples shown in FIG. 1 show a bracket 11 fixed to a stationary wall it will be readily apparent that the bracket 11 may be supported by other means such as shown in FIG. 6 wherein a bracket 11 is pivotally mounted at one end on a vertical standard or post 70. The post 70 may be fixed to the floor by a flanged fitting such as 71 or itmay be fixed to a carriage or other suitable rollable base. In this example, the bracket 11 is provided with flange extensions 72'which are provided with aligned ports 73 for receiving the standard 70. Positioning collars 74 may. be provided so as to position the bracket 11 at a suitably selected height above a floor.

While these two examples of means for supporting. brackets 11 have been illustrated it will be understood that the bracket 11 or its equivalent may be mounted in many different ways. As further examples, bracket 11 may be carried on a wall of a cabinet which may serve' to enclose friction binders 14 supported from the bracket 11. Likewise in such a cabinet it may be desirable to mount bracket 11 by pivotal means so that it may be swung into spaced relationship with the wall of the cabinet in order to make the friction binders and associated material more accessible. The bracket 11 may include an H-section beam on which friction binders 14 may be supported from both sides of the H-section bracket.

In FIGS. 7 and 8 is illustrated a table clamping de vice generally indicated at 80 for positioning and securing a friction binder adjacent the edge of a table top or other supporting surface. In FIG. 7, the clamping device 80 may include a C-clamp portion 81 defining an opening 82 to receive edge 83 of a table top 84. The bottom portion of the C-section member portion 81 may include a threaded bore engaging a threaded clamping element 85 for pressing at 86 against the bottom sur- 6 face of the table top 84. Integral with the (Z-shaped portion 81 may be anoutw ardly extending portion 87 provided with a downwardly oflset wall 88 integral with an upstanding vertical wall 89 which defines with the portion 87 a shallow recess 90 to receive a friction binder 14. At the downward offset of wall 88 with respect to portion 87, the metal may be under cut as at 91 to define an overhanging lip 92 which is spaced from the up-' standing wall 89 a distance slightly less than the width of wall 29 or 30 of the member 28. i

When a pair of clamping devices are secured to an edge 83 of a table top 84, the friction binder .14 may be carried by the device 80 by simply turning the mem-* ber 28 about its longitudinal axis so as to insert the" longitudinal edge of the bottommost wall of the member28 into the undercut portion 91. The member 28 may then be turned in a reverse direction so as to seat the bottommost Wall thereof and web 31, respectively, against offset wall 88 and upstanding wall 89 ofythe clamping device. Thus, as sheet material is turned and folded over the friction binder 14, the weight of such turned sheet material will cause member 28 to turn about its longitudinal axis only to the extent permitted by the engagement of longitudinal edge 34 on wall 30 with the overhanging lip 92. Thus, slipping or dragging of the binder and associated sheet material from the surface of a table on which the sheet material is being examined is positively prevented.

It will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that a filing device has been provided which affords a convenient means for filing sheet material in vertical zones. Since the binders are not supported in their outer; ends but are only supported adjacent their inner ends, initial examination of the contents of a binder maybe readily made by spreading apart adjacent binders and each binder is conveniently accessible for grasping adjacent the center of balance thereof for removal from the support means 12. When a plurality of friction binders are carried by the filing device of this invention, binders which are supported between the ends of, v the bracket 11 may be readily removed and replaced be cause the friction binder itself is first inserted between; adjacent binders and loose, laterally movable free end margins of sheet material cannot obstruct or intermingle with adjacent sheet material and binders to prevent inser tion of the binder.

It will be readily understood by those skilled in-the art that various changes and modifications may be made in the bracket, the support means, the holding or attach-. ment means provided in the friction binder and in the friction binder itself, all of which may come within the, spirit of this invention and all such changes or modifications coming within the scope of the appended claims are embraced thereby.

I claim:

1. A filing device for suspending sheet-like material to be filed in a vertical zone, the combination of: a bracket means; a plurality of support means, each pivotally mounted on the bracket means and projecting outwardly therefrom, each support means including a hori-. zontallyextending member provided with longitudinally spaced support elements extending laterally therefrom;

and means for binding a plurality of sheets of material to be filed along corresponding edge margins thereof,

said binding means including an elongated, rigid member provided with spaced holding means thereon, said spaced holding means defining recesses having openings facing each other, said openings. being spaced apart a distance less than the space between said support elements and inner Walls of said recesses being spaced apart a distance exceeding the space between said support elements, one of said holding means being proximate to the center of balance of said binding means and the other holding means being disposedbetween said center of balance and one end of said rigid member, whereby said prox i-' mate holding means may be engaged with the outermost support element for initially, pivotally supporting the binding means for permitting pivotal movement thereabout of the rigid member for aligning the distal holding means with the distal support element and whereby said binding means may be moved longitudinally away from said support means to engage the distal holding means with the distal support element for supporting said binding means.

, 2', A filingv device as stated in claim 1 wherein said bracket includes means for pivotally mounting the bracket from. a stationary support.

3. A filing device as stated in claim 1 wherein said support means includes an elognated, horizontal flange having end margins providing said support elements. 4. A filing device as stated in claim 1 wherein said binding means includes longitudinally extending gripping members providedv with jaw portions having 1ongitudinal. internal ribs for biting engagement with sheet material.

5.. In a. filing device, the combination of: asupport means provided with horizontally spaced support elements; a friction binder means provided with holding means releasably engageable with said spaced support elements, said binder means including a channel shaped, rigid member carrying said holding means; a pair of elongated gripping members hingedly connected together within said U-shaped member and having. wedge portions engageable with said member; spring means for biasing said gripping members apart; and means for holding said gripping members and spring means in assembly with said rigid member and for actuating said gripping members, said last mentioned means including a T-headed bolt having a shank extending through aligned ports in said spring means, said gripping members and said rigid member.

6. A filing device as stated in claim 5 wherein said hinge connection of said gripping members includes a C-section, longitudinal edge portion of one gripping member and a longitudinal bead port-ion on the other gripping member engaged in said C-section portion.

7. A filing device as stated in claim 5 wherein said spring means is of inverted V shape and whereinthe T head of said T-headed bolt extends longitudinally of saidchannel section member and supports said spring means.

8. A friction binder means for use in a filing device having support means with spaced support elements, comprising: an elongated, rigid member provided with spaced parallel walls and a Web interconnecting said walls; gripping members of angle section having wedge portions engaged with longitudinal edges of said walls, one of said wedge portions terminating in a longitudinal C section portion and the other of said wedge portions terminating in a longitudinal bead portion hingedly received in said C-section portion; a bolt extending through aligned openings in said web and. in said longitudinal edge portions of said wedge portions, saidbolt having a longit'udinall'y disposed head disposed between said wedge portions; a spring carried by said longitudinal head and having leg portions biased outwardly against said angle section gripping members for urging said members apart; and longitudinally spaced attachment means on said member for successive engagement with said' support elements for supporting said friction binder in a filing device.

9. In a filing device, the combination of: a bracket provided with vertically spaced flanges having a plurality of: pairs of vertically aligned openings therein; a plurality of. support means pivotally mounted on said bracket, each support means, including an outwardly projecting horizontal member, a vertical member having a lower end spaced from said horizontal member a distance less than the-spacing of said flanges, and a diagonal member connected with the outer end. of said horizontal member and withsaid. lowerend of said vertical member, said' horizontal member including a pair of spaced, laterally extending support elements, said pair of support elements being disposed adjacent the outer end of said horizontal member; a binder means for a plurality of sheets of ma terial including an elongated rigid member; and spaced holding means on said binder member in unsymmetrical relation therewith and detachably engageable with said support elements, said spaced holding means being engageable with said support elements by endwise movement of said binder means and pivotal movement thereof about the holding means adjacent the center of balance thereof.

10. In a filing device, the combination of: a support means provided with spaced support elements lying in the same plane; a friction binder means provided with spaced means engageable with said spaced support elements, said binder means including a channel-shaped, rigid member provided with said spaced means; a pair of elongated gripping members hingedly connected together within the said channel-shaped member and having wedge portions engageable with said member; spring means for biasing said gripping members apart; and means for holding said gripping members and spring means in assembly with said rigid member and for actuating said gripping members, said last-mentioned means includinga bolt having a shank extending through aligned ports in said? spring means, said gripping members, and said rigid member.

11. A friction binder means for use in a filing device having support means with spaced support elements, cornprising: an elongated, rigid member provided with spaced parallel walls and a web interconnecting said walls; gripping members of angle section having wedge portions engaged with longitudinal edges of said walls, one of said wedge portions terminating in a longitudinal C-section portion and the other of said wedge portions terminating in a longitudinal bead portion hingedly received in said C-section portion; a bolt extending through aligned openings in said weband in said longitudinal portions of said wedge portions, said bolt having a longitudinally disposed head disposed between said wedge portions; a spring carried by said longitudinal head and having leg portions biased outwardly against said angle section gripping members for urging said members apart; and attachment means onsaid rigid member for supporting said friction binder in a filing device.

12. In afiling device, the combination of: a support means provided with spaced support elements lying in the same plane; a friction binder means" provided with at least two spaced holding means cooperable with said spaced supporting elements for holding the binder means in supported assembled relation with the support means, said binder means including a channel-shaped, rigid member provided with said spaced holding means, a pair of elongated gripping members hingedly connected together Within the said channel shaped member and having wedge portions engageable with said member; spring means for biasing said gripping members apart, and means for holding said gripping members and spring means in assembly with said rigid member and for actuating: said gripping members, said last-mentioned means includinga bolt havinga shank extending through aligned ports in said spring means, said gripping members, and said rigid member, one of said holding means being adjacent one end of said rigid member.

References Citedin the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,628,592; Hathaway May 10, 1927 1,887,539 Brown Nov. 15, 1932 2,023,866 Best Dec. 10, 1935 2,339,447 Zwicket Ian. 18, 1.944 2,832,048 Kadri' Apr. 22, 1958 

